Pages

Friday, April 30, 2010

I've been busy.. There are loads of new scans coming up. Cars and Anime. Some of them are really old though.. Pre-College years.. I'm sure it wont be hard to make out... (Old paper turns yellow, for those wondering how...)

All you anime fans there. Which among the the ones you've seen have left a lasting impression on you? Which did you feel were beyond comparison. Have you ever given any thought to it? You would realize that many of these have redundant themes of how hard work and self-belief can take you anywhere. I will be coming up with detailed opinions on each of them sometime later, but here's a list of the best of them:

Bleach (Just 20 episodes, and its the first name I take)

Death Note

Naruto

Dragonball Z (It was the first one... It will always be there on this list)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

"If you saw Atlas, the giant who holds the world on his shoulders, if you saw that he stood, blood running down his chest, his knees buckling, his arms trembling but still trying to hold the world aloft with the last of his strength, and the greater his effort the heavier the world bore down on his shoulders—what would you tell him to do?"
"To Shrug."

Ayn Rand, an Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright and screenwriter put forward a theory of the greatness of man, the power of reason, the importance of ego. She developed a philosophical system which she called "Objectivism". A brief extract is given below. (Skip, 'cuz it wont make sense to you.. Not in essence, anyway.)

"Objectivism holds that reality exists independent of consciousness; that individual persons are in direct contact with reality through sensory perception; that human beings can gain objective knowledge from perception through the process of concept formation and inductive and deductive logic; that the proper moral purpose of one's life is the pursuit of one's own happiness or rational self-interest; that the only social system consistent with this morality is full respect for individual rights, embodied in pure laissez faire capitalism; and that the role of art in human life is to transform man's widest metaphysical ideas, by selective reproduction of reality, into a physical form—a work of art—that he can comprehend and to which he can respond emotionally." - Wikipedia

She emphasizes the importance of individualism over collectivism, rational self-interest, and looking at man as a heroic being. Some of her most powerful and moving thoughts have been immortalized in her Best-Selling novel: Atlas Shrugged. Here are a few of those. Read. Give it some thought. It could change your life.

The choice--the dedication to one's highest potential--is made by accepting the fact that the noblest act you have ever performed is the act of your mind in the process of grasping that two and two make four.

I am, therefore I'll think.

Love is our response to our highest values.

I swear by my life, and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another, nor ask another to live for mine.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Well, I posted about my first experience in giving a presentation a short while back. So what can you do to improve your presentation skills? Here are a few things I figured out:

Prepare Well. Know the topic through and through
People usually want to charge right in and prepare the slides. But it is much better to give some time for research and knowledge gathering first. And once the slides are made, you should take some time for planning your execution. Without a proper idea of how and what going to present, you can just manage an average show.

Use Key Phrases about the topic
Use only the most important information. Use key phrases to deliver the idea precisely. Your topic may be vast, but choose only the top three or four points.

Avoid too much Text
A presentation should only provide an outline of the information you are going to present. Don't put too much text, or no one will bother to read. The major role of the slides is to provide an outline, and not to be your notes.

Use a Design Template, or make one. Consistent layout is a big plus
If you can somehow manage to provide a consistent layout without design templates, good for you. But for a majority of the people there, templates are the way to go. And yes, after applying one, use the slide master to make any changes. They will be reflected on the entire presentation. If you want to adjust just one particular slide, don't.

Help the Audience Gain Interest. Get the message across
This is an important requirement if you want to deliver. There is no point sticking to all the tips I've outlined if you can't get this right. If the audience doesn't understand, the presentation was as good as useless. This is valid only if your audience is the least bit interested.

I kinda figured out today why my dad prepares so much before his conferences (given that he gives them on national and international stages.) It is entertaining. And not for the ones sitting there listening to you. Everything starting from the part where you realize there's a presentation you got to prepare, to the actual execution (which can be very different from what you'd expect.)

While I could say my presentation went well, I was clearly not executing what I'd planned (which was next to nothing, but anyway.) There were so many points that I just missed out due to sheer nervousness added on to lack of preparation. Yes, I have stage fright.

Ah. That reminds me of that last year in school, where I was playing guitar for the Art & Literary Meet in school. I was so freaked, my legs were shaking. And that's the reason I won 2nd in it too (or that's what I'd like to believe.) Seriously. I was literally shaking head to toe. My feet were tapping (read: shaking) to the beat. And thats where I think i go the points. They were with the beat. And just before the final section of my first song, they started shaking so hard, it looked like I was slamming them down on purpose. That's where I thought. This is it. I stopped my feet. Missed a beat. Played the last part. Nothing Else Matters. People thought it was all a part of the show. There was an uproar. Enough that I played the Fade to Black and Master Of Puppets mix in a breeze.

But I digress. I was going on about my presentation right? Yes. Well, one main thing I realized about this one was that we need to prepare well for it. Do some preparation on what exactly your going to say, a few rehearsals, and so on. I realize taking a leaf out of my dad's book will only help here.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Beer with food. Many of us find it hard to figure out the best combinations. Without trying different options a few times, we can almost never manage to figure out what works best. If you think there might be an easier solution, you just might be in luck.

The following guidelines should give you a good idea of what goes with what best without too much thought.

Pale Ales - Salads, light appetizers, fish and seafood

India Pale Ales (IPAs) - IPAs can stand up to a little more richness and flavor. They can go well with things like pulled pork, pizza, and fried chicken, as well as lighter salads and seafood dishes. And if you like heat, try an IPA with spicy food - the hoppiness really pumps up the spice quotient!

Amazing footage of a fight between Piyush and Nirmal is here.. I might upload it soon. keep a look out guys..
This video really shows a friendly squabble gone wrong. What they were doing is left for you to interpret. But first, I need to ensure I will live after uploading this clip.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Self hatred of levels I could not have believed possible coming at me, wave after wave. (Self-hatred, self-loathing, also sometimes autophobia refers to an extreme dislike of oneself, or being angry at oneself.) Strange. Just 2 months back, I'd lost my SanDisk Cruzer Blade (8 GB) and I thought I couldn't possible feel worse. It was Dad's gift for my college performance, and it was love at first sight. But amazingly, that wasn't enough for me to be cautious about it. Some day in my first month of ownership, I left it in the Computer Center, and lost it forever. It's amazing, the amount of hatred one can feel for oneself. I could have put emo's to shame, had I the courage to act.

And now, the whole thing repeats itself. In magnified proportions. I forgot my pen in the Computer Center. Left it. Abandoned it. To face dangers unknown, in the hands of people unknown. Now I regret it. Hate myself. I shouldn't have bought it in the first place. A gem of a Pierre Cardin it was. And this memory has to be put into record. To bring me down to earth every time I feel too proud of my achievements. To make me remember, even the mighty can falter. That pride goes before a fall.

In the words of a modern hero, Dumbledore, "The future is hard to predict. The thoughts and actions that lead to an event are impossible to predict. And Professor Trelawney is living proof of that. To have made three true predictions is indeed a great feat."
And here I am, trying go take my first swipe at this strange and unpredictable art... Not the first, I should admit.. Hehe.. But one of the first few :D

I'm a man, I'ma make a new plan
Time for me to just stand up, and travel new land
Time for me to just take matters into my own hands
Once I'm over these tracks man I'ma never look back
And I'm gone, I know right where I'm goin
Sorry momma I'm grown, I must travel alone
ain't gon' follow the footsteps I'm making my own
Only way that I know how to escape from this 8 Mile Road

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Amazing lyrics.. Brings your suffering in perspective. Really! We all feel we are the most unfortunate people on earth, or that we deserve so much more. And often, we just watch others in pain, and dismiss it as if it doesn't matter at all. What will it take for us to get on with our lives and not complain about every hurdle that comes on our path? Indeed, in this world anything can happen, anything can change just like that

The ego is very much involved in romantic love. Lack of self-worth may turn love into an unexpressed secret when there is fear of possible non-reciprocation. Loving another person can make us intensely sensitive to the regard with which we are held in the eyes of our beloved. When love is expressed but love (or respect) is not reciprocated -- or not reciprocated enough -- it is the ego that hurts. When the beloved forgets about us in plans & actions -- or is otherwise insensitive -- it is the ego that hurts. This is the awful truth that so often turns "love" into hate -- the extreme bitterness & vengefulness of love spurned. Even when love does not turn to hate, the sadness & hurt of the one whose love has not been returned is a suffering of the ego - a wounding of pride. Those who most easily turn love into hate are those most at the mercy of their own ego.